Urban Land Use
Urbanization
• Urbanization: the movement of people from rural areas to cities.
• People usually move for more or better paying jobs.
The Urban Crisis
• Infrastructure: all of the things that a society builds for public use. • Roads, sewers, bridges, canals, fire
and police stations, schools, libraries, hospitals, water mains, and power lines, etc.
The Urban Crisis Continued
• When more people live in a city than its infrastructure can support, the living conditions deteriorate.
• This is called Urban Crisis.
Urban Sprawl
• Urban sprawl: rapid expansion of a city into the countryside around the city.
• Much of this expansions results from the building of suburbs or housing and associated commercial buildings on the boundary of a larger city.
Disadvantage of Urban Sprawl
• High Car Dependence
• Inadequate facilities (cultural, emergency, health, etc.)
• High per-person infrastructure costs
• Inefficient street layouts
• Low diversity of housing and business types
• Higher per-capita use of energy, land, and water
• Perceived low aesthetic value
Other Impacts of Urbanization
• Environmental conditions in a city differ from those in the countryside.
• Cities generate and trap heat.
• The increased temperature in a city is called heat island.
• Can affect local weather patterns, specifically rain.
• Effect can be moderated by planting trees for shade or installing rooftops that reflect heat.
Urban Planning
• Land-use planning: determining in advance how land will be used.
• Where is the best location for housing, businesses, roads, etc?
• Where will land be protected for recreation and conservation?
• Where will sewers, electrical lines, etc. go?
• Complex and controversial• Businesses, governments, and
citizens often disagree about land-use plans.
Technological Tools for Urban Planning
• GIS – Geographic Information System
• A computerized system for storing, manipulating, and viewing geographical data.
• GIS allows the user to look for specific data about an area, such as sewer lines, roads, parks, etc.
• GIS users can layer information to help inform decisions.
Urban Planning and Transportation
• Many U.S. cities are difficult to travel in without a car.
• Most U.S. cities were built after the invention of the automobile.
• At the time, availability of land was not an issue, so many cities are spread out over large areas.
• Most cities in Europe were built before cars, so they are more compact.
Mass Transit Systems
• Uses buses or trains to move many people at one time.
• Save energy
• Reduce highway congestion
• Reduce air pollution
• Limit loss of land to roadways and parking lots
• In places where mass transit systems are not well developed, carpooling is an important alternative!
Open Space
• Open space is land that is set aside for agriculture or scenic and recreational enjoyment.
• Parks, public gardens, bicycle and hiking trails, etc.
• Greenbelts are open spaces left in their natural condition.
• Greenbelts provide important ecosystem services.
Environmental Benefits of Open Spaces
• Plants absorb CO2 and produce O2, and filter out pollutants from the air and water.
• Plants help keep the city cooler in the summer.
• Provide food resources.
• Reduce drainage problems.
• Places for exercise and relaxation